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Members of the task force hope to complete their blueprint for the downtown's revitalization within the next year.

To get there, just about everything is on the table -- from changing zoning regulations to spur more growth, creating more market-rate housing downtown, and offering more cultural events to attract people.

"What we need is people, and more people, to come to downtown," said Wayne Shepperd, the city's economic development director and mayoral chief of staff.

"The ice arena draws people in bursts, the summer concert series draws people in bursts, the Connecticut Film Festival draws people in bursts, but what we don't have is an ongoing situation. We need for there to always be something going on downtown."

"There is no magic bullet," said John Kline, chairman of the task force and chief executive officer of Union Savings Bank. "It will be a coordinated effort, working on a number of different initiatives."

The task force began meeting last year and, according to its members, has gathered data and talked to stakeholders about what needs to be done.

Early on, the task force created a vision of where they want downtown to be.

"Our primary focus is a city with a diversity of activities, thriving businesses, high-quality housing and a vibrant street life," Kline said.

During the next six months, task force members will examine the data they've collected.

"The economic climate that we're in right now gives us the time to methodically plot through this," Kline said. "Our objective is to get the plan finalized in the next six to 12 months, and hopefully that will coincide with an economic recovery in the state and Danbury region."

Task force members said at least they don't have to start from scratch.

The downtown has a lot going for it, Shepperd said.

Some of those events include the film festival, First Night Danbury, and the summer concert series on the Danbury Green.

There are also such attractions as the Danbury ice arena and, hopefully in the near future, the Palace Theater -- a downtown landmark that's in the process of being reborn.

"We already have a start," said Shepperd, who is also serving on the task force.

Officials said they want to address misconceptions about downtown Danbury.

Shepperd said some people's voices "quiver" when they talk about visiting the downtown, despite the city being named the safest in Connecticut for the past two years.

"We have to climb over that hurdle," he said. "There is no question that we have to market ourselves in a positive way."

Andrea Gartner, the executive director of CityCenter, said she would like to see more public participation in the process.

"Everyone has different desires and needs from their city," she said. "I would love to see a nice wine bar with live jazz music, but other people might have different things they'd like to see downtown, like maybe an ice cream shop or a children's museum."

To attract more stores downtown, Danbury Chamber of Commerce president Stephen Bull said the city needs more market-rate housing to attract people with disposable income who shop and eat downtown.

Retail businesses often look at the demographics of people who live in an area before deciding where they will locate, he said.

"We need to do a full court press to bring people into the downtown," Bull said.